


safe & sound

by SunshineBomb



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Aged Down Characters, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Angst, Did I mention angst, Dystopia, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Hunger Games, I'm Sorry, It’s so gay, Sad, but heck the angst, i promise i love these boys, idol producer, it’s the hunger games what do you expect, losta angst, this hurts me a lot too, yes there is fluff too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-09 14:24:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15269391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineBomb/pseuds/SunshineBomb
Summary: I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I’d never let you go.Idol Producer Hunger Games AU(edited by stuckysoul)





	1. District 1

Light was peeking through the curtains, falling directly on Xukun’s face. He shut his eyes tighter, in a vain attempt to keep the light out. He felt a pair of arms tighten around his waist and snuggled in closer to their owner, and he smiled contently. He loved mornings, waking up next to Linong, laying in his arms while the younger boy ran his fingers through his messy hair. On any other day, they would have stayed in bed late into the morning, and maybe have gone out, but this day held entirely different plans. Xukun felt Linong’s soft lips press a kiss to the back of his neck, sending shivers down his body.

“Good morning,” Xukun mumbled sleepily.

“It’s Reaping Day.” Linong said against the other boy’s neck. Xukun turned around to face the other, propping his head up on his hand. 

“So?” he said nonchalantly. He tried not to look worried, but he could practically feel how nervous Linong was.

“What if I get chosen?” he said. Xukun brushed his hair out of his eyes.

“You won’t.” 

“I might. Not all of us are exempt, Kun.” he fell silent.

“Even if you did, someone would probably volunteer in your place. Hell, I’ll volunteer for you.” he rested his hand on Linong’s face. He gave a sad smile.

“But you can’t. You’ve already competed, you can’t do it again.” 

“I will not let you go. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.” he softly kissed his forehead. “In the meantime, let’s get you ready. You need to be the absolute best-dressed boy out there.” He pulled him out of bed and shoved him towards the bathroom, smiling. As soon as Linong shut the bathroom door, Xukun’s smile dropped. He could feel the panic rising in his throat, threatening to come out in ragged sobs. He was already struggling to breathe properly, and every noise seemed to be amplified. The muffled noise of the shower now sounded like he was standing underneath a giant waterfall, and the clock ticking felt like it was inside him, crawling around under his skin. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop the tears from flowing down his face. He had tried to put on a brave front for Linong, but he didn’t know if he could for much longer. He was terrified. Terrified that Linong’s name would get pulled from that glass bowl. He could practically hear the Capitol representative reading his name for the entirety of Panem to hear. He could already picture a scared, wide-eyed Linong in the arena, too afraid and kind-hearted to even pick up a weapon, his refusal to fight getting him killed… Xukun couldn’t hold the tears back anymore. He covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to quiet the crying. He sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to calm himself, tried to reassure himself that he was just overreacting. Everything was fine, Linong would be fine--

“Kun?” Xukun looked up with tear-filled eyes to see Linong in the doorway, already dressed, hair still wet from his shower. Xukun sniffled and forced a smile. 

“You look beautiful, Nongnong.” he said shakily. Linong knelt down in front of him and held his face in his hands, wiping his tears away with his thumbs. 

“What’s the matter?” he asked softly. Xukun felt another wave of sobs coming, and he didn’t try to hold them in. Linong pulled him close, rubbing calming circles on his back. 

“I-I can’t lose y-you.” he cried. “I c-can’t let them t-take you.”

“Shh. I’ll be okay, Kun, I promise. I promise I’ll be fine. Take a deep breath.” Linong’s voice wavered as he fought back his own tears. He held Xukun close, helping him focus on breathing. After a couple of minutes, he calmed down and lifted his head up. 

“I cried all over your suit, I’m so sorry--” he sniffed. Linong chuckled. 

“Don’t worry about it, it’ll dry. Let’s focus on you getting ready, okay?” he gently took his hands and helped him stand. “Do you already know what you’re wearing? How are you styling your hair?” Linong kept talking, asking trivial questions he already knew the answers to, but it seemed to keep Xukun calm. He stayed close to him for the rest of the morning, standing right outside the door as he showered, or by his side as he combed his hair up into a sleek quiff. All too soon, the time came for them to leave for the Reaping. They stood by their front door, Xukun straightening the gold sun-shaped pin on Linong’s dark blue suit jacket. He stood back, looking him up and down to make sure he looked presentable. 

“Are you ready?” he asked. Linong laced their fingers together. 

“Are you?” 

Hesitantly, Xukun nodded, earning a wide, bright smile from the other. He let his smile drop as he leaned down to connect their lips in a sweet, slow kiss. When they broke apart, Xukun pulled Linong into a tight embrace. 

“I love you, Linong.” he said quietly.

“I love you, too, Xukun.”


	2. District 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a quick lil thing for those that may not know:
> 
> fanfan is bu fan and minghui is yue yue (it took me eons to figure out that bu fan and yue yue weren't their real names but now that i know, here we go)

Fanfan had been awake for hours, too nervous to stay asleep for very long. He felt bad, leaving Minghui alone in their room, but his mind was running too fast for him to just lay awake in bed. So, around four in the morning, he quietly slipped out of bed into the living room to go read a book. It calmed his nerves to have one thing to focus on, especially on days like this. He got completely lost in whatever story he was reading, and didn’t even notice that the sun was up, or that a sleepy Minghui had just stumbled into the room, hair sticking up in every direction, rubbing his eyes. He sat down next to his husband and kissed his cheek. 

“Morning, baby.” he said, voice still low and raspy from just waking up. “You’re up early. Are you ready for today?” 

“Mhm yeah.” he said absentmindedly, still engrossed in his book. Minghui took it from his hands and set it out of reach. 

“It’s Reaping Day, Fan.” and the anxious feelings had returned.

“Oh. Well, I’m never really ready for it, but it’s my last year, and I’ve made it this far without being chosen. I don’t think it’s gonna happen.” he felt as if those words were said to console himself more than Minghui. He pulled him closer, arms around his waist.

“I know, but I’m still scared. It’s just… it’s so nerve wracking. Every year, I get so scared that it’ll be you, and it never is, but still.” he rested his head on Fanfan’s shoulder. 

“I know,” they stayed on the couch, nestled up against each other, for a few more minutes until Fanfan stood up. “Gotta go get ready.” he said, pulling Minghui up with him. They got ready in silence, occasionally glancing over at the other to make sure they weren’t too shaky or anything. Fanfan would never admit it out loud, but he had a small inkling of a feeling that, maybe, his name would get called. And even if that was the case, he lived in a district in which most tributes were actually volunteers, so there was a good chance that someone would volunteer in his place, someone that actually wanted to compete. But he still couldn’t help but think about what would happen if he was chosen, and no one volunteered in his place. What then? He would actually have to kill people. It’s not like he hadn’t been training for it, he lived in a Career district. Everyone started training for the games at a very young age. And although the thought of killing other people, other kids, was horrifying in and of itself, what scared him most was leaving Minghui. He couldn’t even think of being away from him for that long, and there was always the possibility that he would never even see him again. 

He looked over at his husband, who he’d been best friends with since childhood, who he’d only been married to for a few months, even though it felt like years. He memorised everything about him in that moment, from the way his dress shirt fit to how the tip of his tongue poked out of his lips as he tried to put as much of his hair into a ponytail as he could. His deep brown eyes caught Fanfan’s, and he smiled a crooked little smile that always reminded him of a cat. 

“What is it?” he said. Fanfan smiled and looked away, shaking his head.

“It’s nothing,” he replied as Minghui walked over to him and snaked his arms around his waist.

“No, tell me.” 

“Just thinking about how sexy my husband is and how lucky I am to be married to him.” he said, smirking. Minghui blushed and buried his face in the other’s chest. 

“Stop it,” he mumbled. Fanfan chuckled and held him tighter. He kissed the top of his head. 

“Come on, we should get going.” he said, pulling the other along, their hands intertwined. He was the last one out the door, taking one last look at their apartment before shutting the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know it's short but the chapters will get longer as the story progresses :)


	3. District 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> really, really short update, sorry!! i promise the next one is longer <3 
> 
> (i also discovered that literally no one in oner used their real names on idol producer, sOoOoOo ziyang is actually zhenyang)

Zhenyang had been laying in bed for hours, staring up at the ceiling, which had been programmed to look like outer space. He had been studying the constellations, trying to get his mind off the Reaping. Part of him wanted to get chosen, because he knew he probably wouldn’t last long in the arena. And at this point, death was better than living where he was. But the majority of him wanted to stay at home and live out his days locked in his room, studying galaxies and constellations. He heard a knock at his door. 

“Yang, are you up? We need to go soon. T minus 15 minutes.” his dad said from the other side. 

“Yeah, dad.” he replied. Slowly, he stood up and made his way to the chair on the other side of his room, where his Reaping clothes had been laid out. He smiled as he ran his fingers over the fabric of the suit his mother had made. It looked like a snapshot of space, and when the light caught it just right, the stars shone as they would in the nighttime sky. He quickly dressed and combed his hair before falling back down on his bed to look at his ceiling again. 

He knew that if he was chosen as tribute, he would die. He wasn’t particularly fast, or strong, or smart, and he would be an easy target. It was almost comforting in a way, to know that he would die. It lessened the anxiety that would come with uncertainty. And when he did die, he wouldn’t be sad about it. He knew he would be among the stars once he did, and to him, there was nothing better. He didn’t want to die, necessarily, but he didn’t want to live, either. He just didn’t see the point in either. He looked at his ceiling of stars one more time before standing up and leaving. His parents were already waiting by the front door, looking almost…content. They looked as though they knew Zhenyang would be safe, that he wouldn’t be selected. It was nearly sickening. How could they look so sure of something so uncertain? He, too, forced a smile and followed his parents to the Reaping.


	4. District 4

Minghao was awoken by someone softly shaking him awake. He tried burrowing further down in his thick blue comforter, but they pulled the blanket back. He groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He cracked his eyes open to see Zhengting sitting on the edge of the bed. He started stroking his hair.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” he said. “It’s time to get up, it’s a big day.” Minghao rolled over, burying his face in his pillow.

“Don’t wanna go.” he mumbled. “Wanna stay here. ‘S comfy.” he pulled the comforter back up, but Zhengting yanked it off the bed. He curled up in a ball, trying to stay warm.

“Tough. Come on, get in the shower. We’re leaving in less than an hour.” he walked out, not noticing Minghao sticking his tongue out at him. Begrudgingly, he rolled out of bed and trudged to the bathroom.

“Huang Minghao, you had better be up, otherwise I’m throwing you in the lake!” Zhengting called from another room.

“Yes, mom!” he replied, turning on the shower. He always felt a little weird calling Zhengting “mom” or “dad,” even when he was being sarcastic. The older had practically raised him, so he was a parent to him, in a way, but Minghao still remembered his actual parents, if only a little bit. It had been around seven years since they died, but he still remembered that day very clearly. He had been playing out in the backyard with Zhengting, who had been asked to watch the five-year-old for a little bit, when he saw three Peacekeepers walk up to the house. At the time, Minghao only knew that, when Peacekeepers showed up, it usually wasn’t good. He remembered seeing Zhengting’s face, seeing how absolutely terrified he was, and being scooped up in his arms as he started running away from the house. He didn’t stop running until they had made it to a small forest about a mile away. They had stayed there until dark, and then Zhengting took him back to his own house, which Minghao had eagerly agreed to. Thoughts of his parents and going back home were temporarily forgotten until he was taken back the next morning.  
A sharp knock at the door shook him from his thoughts.

“Minghao, you’ve been in there for a really long time, are you okay?” Zhengting’s voice was muffled, but he could still clearly hear him. Minghao sniffled. He only then realised he had been crying, his tears mixing with the water, and he attributed his stinging eyes to getting shampoo in them.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” he replied, voice breaking. 

“Alright, well you need to get out, you still need to get dressed and eat something, so hurry up please.” Minghao turned off the shower and dried off before slipping on the outfit Zhengting had picked out for him. The shirt was a little stuffy and he felt like the collar was choking him, but he had decided to at least humour Zhengting. He stepped out into the kitchen, where the older was making breakfast. Minghao sat down at the table, fidgeting with his sleeves. 

“Zhengting, do… do I have to do this?” he asked nervously. The other turned around, pursing his lips.

“You know I’d love to say that you don’t, but yes, you do. But don’t overthink it, okay? It’s your first year, your name is only in there once, I’m confident you won’t get picked.” he said, but he didn’t sound entirely convinced himself. “Now, stand up so I can get a look at you.” he wiped his hands on a towel and walked over to Minghao. He made a disapproving noise and started tucking in the younger’s shirt. 

“Hey! I can do that myself!” he protested, swatting Zhengting’s hands away and continuing to tuck in his shirt. “I’m twelve, not three.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” he mumbled, earning a glare from the younger. “Well, anyways, we need to hurry, I’m supposed to be there early.” he set a plate of pancakes down on the table, which Minghao started to eat rapidly.

“Why?” he asked around the food in his mouth.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full. I’m the mentor for the District 4 tributes this year, so they want me there to go over standard mentoring whatever before the Reaping.” he replied.

“Wait, so what am I gonna do when you’re in the Capitol?” he said.

“Well, I already cleared it with the officials, and, given that you’re not chosen, which you won’t be, I was just gonna bring you with me.” he picked up Minghao’s now-empty plate and put it in the sink. 

“Really?” he said excitedly. 

“Yes, really. Now, go brush your teeth, we need to leave soon.” he shooed Minghao towards the bathroom and finished clearing the table. A couple minutes later, the younger bounded into the room.

“Let’s go!” he said eagerly. Zhengting smiled sadly, the younger’s innocence sending a pang of worry through his heart.


	5. District 5

The house was quieter than it normally was, but it wasn’t unusual for Reaping Day. Everyone stayed in their respective rooms, and they most likely wouldn’t emerge until it was time to leave. Zhenghao laid curled up on top of his covers, staring at the clock on the wall. He still had a couple hours until he had to leave, but he still had to make sure his parents were up and moving, too. Reapings were harder for them to deal with than most people. The thought of losing another child to the games was terrifying. For Zhenghao, it was hard to think about leaving his parents all alone, with no one to take care of them. He was only thirteen, but he had to become the adult after his brother was selected as tribute. Zhenghao had only been nine, but he still fully understood what was happening and that there was a large chance he would never see his brother again. He could still remember when those games had started, his eyes were glued to the screen, trained on his brother. He had felt confident he would live. He had received an eight on his evaluation, he knew how to survive. And then, at the Cornucopia, a Career snapped his neck. Zhenghao hadn’t watched any of the games since then.   
He was scared this year, more so than usual. His name had been entered seven times because he’d had to take out tesserae for himself and his parents each year. His chances of being chosen were far greater than most of the others his age. He couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen if he had to go. How would his parents survive? Would they survive? Would he survive? He focused on the clock again. He was surprised to see that so much time had passed. He got up and went to his parents’ room, knocking softly on the door.

“Mom? Dad?” he said quietly, cracking the door open. “It’s time to go.”

“Be there in a second, Hao.” his dad said. He backed away from the door and went to  
the main room. His eyes scanned the familiar pictures on the mantel, lingering on one of his brother. It was his portrait from the games. He was staring into the camera with an almost challenging stare, and it didn’t seem at all like him. Zhenghao remembered him to be kind, definitely not someone who would pick a fight. He heard his parents’ door open, and he stepped away from the mantel. His parents emerged, tired-looking. His mom’s gaze was focused on the floor.

“Come on, then.” his dad said. “Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another really really short chapter, sorry!!


	6. District 6

When Qin Fen finally went to bed, Mubo and their baby had fallen asleep in a chair at their kitchen table. He had been up with them for a little bit, too, but Mubo had insisted that he get some sleep. It was late morning when he finally rolled out of bed and shuffled into the kitchen. Mubo and the baby were already awake, and he was scurrying around, frantically searching for something while holding the crying infant. Fen walked up behind him and took the baby. Mubo opened his mouth to protest, but Fen stopped him by pecking his cheek.

“Good morning,” he hummed, walking off to find something to calm the baby. 

“Good morning, have you seen Peiyao’s blanket? I can’t find it, but I’m positive he had it last night--”

“You’re holding it, Mubo.” he said, nodding at his husband’s hand. He looked down at the soft blue blanket in disbelief. “Are you okay? You seem stressed.” he found a bottle in the kitchen and put it in Peiyao’s hands before walking over to Mubo. He collapsed in a chair.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay, just tired. I think Peiyao might be getting sick or something, he was up crying most of the night, and his face felt pretty warm--” he rambled. 

“Hey, hey, it’s fine, I’m sure he’s okay. You, on the other hand, should go get some sleep. So, I’ll take care of him, and you go get some rest.” he pulled him up with his free hand and started pushing him towards their bedroom.

“Fen, I can’t--” he started. 

“Why not? I’ll be fine, I can deal with him.”

“It’s Reaping Day.” 

Fen’s heart stopped. He had completely forgotten about it, and both him and Mubo had to go, it being their last year. 

“Oh,” he gulped. “What are we gonna do about him?” he nodded towards the baby. Mubo shrugged.

“We’ll probably keep him with us. If all goes well, he should sleep through it.” he trailed off, falling silent. Fen didn’t even want to think about what would happen if it didn’t go well. Leaving Mubo alone to support himself and Peiyao was frightening, as was having to watch Mubo in the arena. He wished he were confident that neither of them would have to go, but being the pessimist he was, he always jumped to the worst conclusions. 

“Fen!” Mubo’s voice shook him from this thoughts. He was looking at Fen with worry written on his face, as if he were able to hear what he had been thinking.

“What?” he said, confused. Mubo gave a small smile as he took Fen’s hand.

“It’ll be okay, I promise. Don’t overthink it. We’ll be okay.” he dropped his hand and took the sleeping Peiyao from Fen’s arms. “Go get ready, we should leave soon.” nodding shakily, he obeyed Mubo’s instructions and left the room. He rummaged through their small closet and pulled out his only suit. It almost felt wrong to wear it. It was the same suit he had worn for his wedding, and now, he was wearing it to a Reaping, of all things. He slowly dressed and walked out. Mubo was still standing in the same place, rocking Peiyao.

“I can take him now.” Fen said. Mubo was staring at him, wide-eyed. “Bo? Is there something wrong?” he asked.

“You look great.” he sighed. Fen rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t stop the heat he felt rising in his cheeks. He gently scooped the baby up in his arms.

“Sh...shut up. You…you need to get dressed, too.” he stuttered. With a satisfied smile, Mubo leaned over to peck his husband on the cheek before walking away. A couple minutes later, he emerged. Fen smiled. 

“You look amazing.” he breathed. This time, it was Mubo who was blushing. 

“We should get going.” he started walking towards the door.

“Hey,” Fen called. Mubo turned back to face him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”


	7. District 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if these intro chapters seemed to drag out, i promise this is the last one. next chapter will be the reaping!!!

Zhangjing had been awake for hours, but he still laid in bed, eyes focused on a random spot on the wall. He found it impossible to stay asleep for more than a few minutes at a time. He couldn’t stop thinking about the Reaping, and he was feeling anxious. The most difficult part for Zhangjing wasn’t worrying over whether he would get selected, it was always seeing kids he’s known for years get picked off one by one. He always felt like he should go up in their place, but he was too scared to volunteer.   
He heard his door creak open, but he made no move to get up. A weight settled on the corner of the bed, and a gentle hand rested on his shoulder to shake him awake.

“Zhangjing… Zhangjing…” he heard his sister’s voice, yet he still lay, unmoving. “Okay, you asked for it.” Zhangjing barely had time to take another breath when he felt a sharp slap against his rear end. He cried out, arms flailing wildly.

“Jesus! What was that for?” he shrieked.

“Happy Slaughter Day!” she said in a sing song-y voice. Zhangjing groaned and threw the blanket over his head. She yanked it back off of him.

“Why can’t you just let me sleep for a couple more hours? We don’t have to leave until one.” 

“It’s already noon, Jing, I’ve let you sleep as long as you can. Now, get up and get ready!” she spanked him one more time and ran out of the room. Zhangjing sighed and rolled out of bed. Sometimes, he found it hard to believe she was older than him. He softly padded over to the other side of the room to scoop up his Reaping clothes and carry them to the bathroom. He quickly washed up, then tried to focus only on getting himself dressed, but his mind kept wandering back to the Games and the Reaping. It was his last Reaping, but never before had he felt more unprepared and alone. He’d always had his best friend by his side, up until the previous year. Zhangjing squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to shove the memory away, but it remained. Sighing, he allowed himself this one time to think about last year’s Reaping.

_Zhangjing and Chaoze are standing together, just as scared as the others around them, but refusing to show it. Chaoze is muttering hilariously inappropriate comments, loud enough only for Zhangjing to hear, and it’s taking every ounce of self-control he has not to burst out laughing in the middle of the Capitol representative’s speech. Chaoze struggles to keep his voice to a whisper, and occasionally gets shushed by someone nearby. This is how they cope with their anxiety during Reapings, Chaoze cracks jokes, and Zhangjing tries (and fails) not to react.  
When the time comes for the male tribute to be selected, Chaoze falls quiet, waiting with bated breath to hear the name. The Capitol representative is taking a bit longer to choose the name, though, so Chaoze takes the extra few seconds to make yet another joke. Zhangjing is on the verge of laughing out loud, but when the name “Lin Chaoze” rings through the air, his face falls. The name rips through Zhangjing, his breath catching on it. He stares at his best friend with wide eyes, all of a sudden feeling sick. The joke falls dead on Chaoze’s lips, and he gulps nervously, beginning the slow, solemn walk to the front of the square. He freezes, and whirls back around to engulf Zhangjing in a tight hug, body trembling._

_“Don’t you dare volunteer.” he whispers sternly before pulling away. Sometimes, Zhangjing hates how the other always seems to know what he’s thinking. He watches as Chaoze walks up to the stage, and the dread he feels only increases as he watches the two new tributes shake hands and disappear into the Hall of Justice. As everyone files out of the square, Zhangjing runs for the Hall of Justice. He’s the first one standing outside the waiting room, making it there even before Chaoze’s family. A Peacekeeper opens the door, informing Chaoze that he only has three minutes with the visitor, then lets Zhangjing in. He rushes into the other boy’s arms, body shaking as he struggles to breathe through his sobs. Chaoze runs a hand up and down his back in a soothing motion in an attempt to calm him._

_“Shh. Hey, calm down, it’s gonna be okay. Breathe with me, okay?” his usually loud voice is now below even a whisper. After a few moments, Zhangjing’s breathing returns to normal, and Chaoze pulls away to look him in the eyes. With a sad smile, he wipes away the other’s tears._

_“You’ll survive, right?” Zhangjing asks shakily. Chaoze chuckles._

_“I’ll be back before you know it.” ___

__Zhangjing fell out of the memory, his body trembling. He was painfully aware of the tears streaming down his face, and he roughly wiped them away. Taking a deep breath, he walked out of the bathroom and nearly collided with his sister, who didn’t hesitate to pull him into her arms. He didn’t stop his tears from flowing again._ _

__“I know it’s hard, but it’ll be okay. You can get through this.” with an arm still around his shoulders, she guided him out of the house, to the Reaping._ _

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are always appreciated ^3^  
> imma try and update this weekly


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